@cinnamon this paper may be interesting

Geiger, R. Stuart. (2016). “Bot-based collective blocklists in Twitter: The counterpublic moderation of harassment in a networked public space.” Information, Communication, and Society 19(6).

PDF: http://stuartgeiger.com/blockbots-ics.pdf
Summary: https://bids.berkeley.edu/news/moderating-harassment-twitter-blockbots

Traditionally, counterpublics have been understood as ‘parallel discursive arenas' (Fraser, 1990, p. 67), separate spaces where members of a subordinated group are able to participate in their own kind of collective sensemaking, opinion formation, and consensus building.... As counterpublics are characterized by their lack of a hegemonic claim to represent or speak to the entire population, members must employ alternative tactics to make their concerns and activities visible to ‘the public,’ while also maintaining a safe space to discuss and understand issues relevant to them on their own terms ... Rather than creating a separate, alternative discursive space, [bot-based collective blocklists, or] blockbots are a way in which counterpublic groups exercise agency over their own experiences within a hegemonic discursive environment.